At the Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition, we are driven by our members’ shared faith values to advocate for those in need within our community. Our work addresses poverty’s root causes through public policy change. To achieve this, we inform and engage more than 50 faith communities by carefully reviewing ballot initiatives and making informed recommendations. These recommendations guide voters toward choices that align with our core values of belonging, justice, equity, interconnectedness, collaboration, and pluralism.
The Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition actively supports or opposes ballot items based on the recommendations of our Task Forces, who follow specific issues in their particular areas of interest.
The ballot items we support are:
Prop 5 – Lower Voting Threshold on Local Housing Bonds:
We support Prop 5 (2024) because a majority in any community should be able to decide whether bonds should be issued – and taxes imposed to repay them – to build critical things like affordable housing and infrastructure. Prop 5 would implement the same terms of approval that already exist for public debt for education.
We note that Prop 5 (2024) requires clear accountability in debt approved by vote, including oversight measures. We believe Prop 5 (2024) will enable the funding of critically essential projects that will serve the well-being of many, such as affordable housing. Our Housing and Shelter Task Force recommends support for this ballot item.
For further details and a downloadable resource, click here.
Prop 6 – End Slavery in California Act:
This item is on the ballot due to the passage of Assembly Constitutional Amendment 8. When approved in the legislature, the voters must affirm such amendments.
We support Prop 6 (2024) because it restores essential moral and practical considerations to criminal justice in California. Not only does penal servitude – slavery – disproportionately impact people of color, but it does not contribute to rehabilitation, lowering recidivism, or improving public safety. Our Racial Justice Task Force recommends support for this ballot item.
For further details and a downloadable resource, click here.
Prop 32 – Raise Minimum Wage to $18:
We support Prop 32 (2024) because we feel that the working poor deserve fairness and the means to live lives of basic human dignity. Many of our faith traditions call for fairness in wages and working to support the poorest and most vulnerable. The working poor should not be trapped in their condition.
We recognize that $18 per hour is not a living wage in California, but better wages are essential in reducing poverty. Thus, we support any movement in that direction, even if the change does not establish a living wage. Raising wages has important implications for the common good, families, and communities. Our Racial Justice Task Force recommends support for this ballot item.
For further details and a downloadable resource, click here.
Prop 33 – Expands Local Authority to Enact Residential Rent Policies:
We support Prop 33 (2024) because it empowers local governments to determine which rent policies are best for their communities. Escalating rents are a significant driver of poverty in California. Rent policies can be important methods for protecting the vulnerable and avoiding the tragic human costs of displacements, destabilizing families and communities.
We discount the importance of “pure economic theory” because the reality of rental housing bears little relationship to academic theory. In contrast, escalating rents are a verifiable source of distress for many families. We note that virtually all rent policies enacted in California guarantee landlords the right to a fair return. Yet those rent policies do not guarantee tenants the right to stay out of poverty. Prop 33 does not create new rent policies; it simply eliminates state-imposed restrictions on what local governments can do.
Support for this ballot item is recommended by our Housing and Shelter Task Force.
For further details and a downloadable resource, click here.
The ballot item we oppose is:
Prop 36 – Increase Penalties for Theft and Drug Trafficking:
We oppose Prop 6 (2024) because returning to harsh sentences is poor public policy. Shifting money from treatment and rehabilitation to prisons would undermine programs that reduce recidivism and support reintegration into society. This not only detracts from effective and humane criminal justice policies, but increased incarceration rates will lead to higher costs for taxpayers without improving public safety.
Many of our faith traditions believe in the possibility of redemption and transformation for every individual. This leads to supporting rehabilitation programs that help individuals change their lives and become contributing members of society. We advocate for criminal justice reform and seek to create a system more aligned with the values of mercy, compassion, redemption, and equitable justice for all.
Opposing Prop 36 is the recommendation of our Racial Justice Task Force.
For further details and a downloadable resource, click here.
Further Information on Ballot Items
For more information and recommendations on all of the ballot items, please consider these sources:
- California League of Women Voters – Ballot Recommendations
- California Council of Churches IMPACT – Recommendations
- Friends Committee on Legislation of California – Recommendations
For more information on the ballot items themselves, please consider these sources:
